Chapter 13.9
Fruitlessness;
Sour Grapes
The Vineyard – The Choice Vines – The Wall – The Hedge
The Stones – The Tower – The Wild Grapes – Good
Grapes
What more could God do? - The Judgment - The Six
Woes
First Word
Isaiah’s Poem or Love Song is a vailed
song about the owner of a vineyard and his efforts to get a good crop of
grapes, when only at the harvest to be disappointed with sour grapes. Shortly after the song starts, Isaiah unveils
what the symbolism of the vineyard is all about.
Understand this
is NOT a parable spoken by Jesus Christ, but by
a Prophet who
existed long before the son of God came as a man to provide THE WAY for us back to
God.
It starts out with the owner’s love which turns to exasperation and
finally into wrath.
NOTE: I have used some 22 translations and about that
many commentaries to nail down the term “SOUR
GRAPES”
and the results of FRUITLESSNESS.
Isaiah 5:1 – Selected a vineyard on a very
fertile hill.
1 Let me SING for my beloved my LOVE SONG concerning his
vineyard: My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile
hill.
(ESV)
The
Story Begins – but Veiled
The owner of the vineyard has obtained a
prize piece of land on a very fertile well drained hill, in which to make His
vineyard and then without delay He begins to work. He plowed and broke up the stony Palestine soil in the vineyard, cleared and removed
all the stones and hauled them out to the outer bounds of His property and
heaped them up to form a protective wall and then added and additional hedge
for protection.
Then He obtained the most superior “Sorek” grape vines
that were noted for their deep RED color and carefully planted them with a trench
about each row.
Next He built a tower in the midst of the
vineyard establishing the management team that would hoe out the thorns, briars and weeds
and watch out for animals that could damage the grapes and marauding thieves
who would try to steal the harvest.
Then in expectation of an awesome harvest,
He hewed and carved out of the nearby rocks a very large winepress complete
with a cistern vat, deep in the earth to keep the harvest of sweet grape juices
cool.
Then He waited for the harvest. When grace does not work; corruption will.
(ESV) Isaiah 5:2 – Plowed, cleared, planted,
walled with watchtower
2 He dug it and cleared it of
stones, and planted it with choice vines; he built a watchtower in the midst of it,
and hewed out a wine
vat in it; and he looked for it
to yield grapes, but it yielded wild grapes.
(KJV) Isaiah 5:2- He fenced it and made a
winepress
2 And he fenced it, and gathered
out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in
the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein: and he looked that it
should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes.
(MSG) Isaiah 5:2 – Hoed the soil, pulled weeds,
built winepress & tower
2 He hoed the soil; pulled the
weeds, and planted the very best vines. He built a lookout, built a winepress,
a vineyard to be proud of. He looked for a vintage yield of grapes, but for all
his pains he
got junk grapes.
The Harvest
At the harvest there was a reasonable
expectation for an excellent harvest, but all the owner found was hard, bad,
worthless, sour, bitter, wild, corrupt, rotten, offensive, putrefied, stinking
grapes.
The Elephant in
the room is the question; “WHAT MORE COULD HE HAVE DONE?”
The different translation say;
ü What good thing shall I say that I will do to my people that I have not done
for them?
ü What should one do more to my vineyard that I have not done for it?
ü What remains to be done to my vineyard and I had not done it?
ü What is there which I ought to do more?
ü What shall I do yet?
ü What to do more?
He then asks the men of Judah to judge
between Him in His preparations of the vineyard and the results of the Harvest.
This request to JUDGE between the two has far reaching
implications.
HOLD THAT THOUGHT.
(NKJV)
Isaiah 5:3-4 – What more was there to do?
3 And now, O inhabitants of
Jerusalem and men of Judah,
JUDGE BETWEEN ME AND MY VINEYARD.
4 What
more was there to do for my vineyard that I have not done in it? When I looked
for it to yield grapes, why did it yield wild grapes?
(HCSB)
Isaiah 5:4 - What more could I have done?
4 WHAT
MORE COULD I HAVE DONE FOR MY VINEYARD THAN I DID? Why, when I
expected a yield of good grapes, did it yield worthless grapes?
(MSG)
Isaiah 5:4 – Can you think of anything I
could have done more
4 CAN
YOU THINK OF ANYTHING I could have done to my vineyard that I
didn't do? When I expected good grapes, why did I get bitter grapes?
The
Story Unveiled
It is at the judging of the vineyard that Isaiah
reveals who “the
beloved” is. We now learn
that the owner of the vineyard is none other than God Himself and the vineyard is Israel.
Isaiah removes the veil
and lets us see that this is not just a story about a vineyard, but about the
nation of Israel
being God’s prize vineyard and Judah being His choice vines.
Judgment begins on
Israel; God removes the protective hedge so that the marauding enemy
can come in and devour it. Then he
breaks down the walls so it will be trampled by animals. Then He lays it to waste to such that briers
and thorns grow up and then God commands the clouds to hold back the rain and
this is just the beginning.
Isaiah 5:7 – The vineyard is Israel and
Judah is the vines
7 For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are his pleasant planting; and he looked for justice, but
behold, bloodshed; for righteousness, but behold, an outcry!
(ESV)
Isaiah 5:5-6 – I will remove my
protection; curses not blessings
5 And now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard. I will remove its hedge, and it shall be devoured; I will break down its wall, and it
shall be trampled down.
6 I will make it a waste; it shall not be
pruned or hoed, and briers and thorns
shall grow up; I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it.
(ESV)
The Book of
WOE’s
In the Book when a WOE is mentioned, its bad news, two
is worse and three is devastating. There
are six WOE’s in this song and they are all against His prize
vineyard Israel. So God’s hurt, disappointment and His wrath is
ultra-severe. Had there been Seven WOES it would be the complete and utter destruction of the
nation of Israel.
- (Seven is
completeness)
The Six WOE’s prophesized against Israel
ü 1st WOE – Their
beautiful homes will become un-inhabited and desolated. [1] Their land will produce very little fruit, but
enough to stay drunk.[2]
ü 2nd WOE – They will seek
strong drink and pleasure and forget the deeds of God and what He has done for
them. [3] This will lead them into exile[4]
where they will thirst and hunger.[5] Many will rebel against God and will be doomed
to Hell.[6] In God’s holiness and justice, men will be
brought low and humbled and live as nomads among the ruins of the city.[7]
ü 3rd WOE – Sin will be
carried about in a cart drawn with ropes of lies and falsehoods.[8]
ü 4th WOE – Men will begin
to call evil things good and good things evil, they will put darkness for light
and light for darkness, and put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.[9]
ü 5th WOE – Deceived; men
will become wise and shrewd in their own eyes, in their own sight.[10]
ü 6th WOE – Drunk; they
will take bribes, acquitting the guilty and depriving the innocent. [11] Their
grass will be devoured with fire and the root will rot.[12] Darkness and destress will come over the land.[13] Earthquakes will kill many and their dead
bodies will be discarded as garbage.[14] The enemy nations will be summoned and come
against them quickly[15]
with sharp arrows and fast horses carrying them off into captivity and none can
be rescued.
The Vineyard of
Israel and
its people rejected the law of the LORD of hosts, and despised
the word of the Holy One of Israel.
Decoding the Symbols
ü
My
Beloved -
The Owner… God
ü
The
Vineyard –
Symbolic of the Nation of Israel in the midst of Jerusalem.
ü
The
Choicest Vines – The Seed of Abraham, Joshua and Caleb who truly followed
the Lord leading the people of Israel. Judah was planted in Jerusalem to be a
special nation of Priests to the world.
ü
The
Wall; The Fence – Symbolic of the separation of Israel from the pagan nations
to be a peculiar people just for Him; fenced with a well formed government and
an excellent constitution with good and wholesome Laws.
ü
The
Hedge –
The protection of Israel from its enemies.
ü
The
Stones –
The removal of stones of old idolatries that would have hindered Israel’s
development. The removal of the seven
pagan nations that inhabited the land of Canaan known for their hardness and
stupidity for the worship of STONE idols.
ü
The
Tower
– God built his sanctuary among them. Symbolic of the Temple, a token of God’s
presence and His management and care over the nation of Israel; His most excellent
law and proper ordinances… Justice and Goodness.
ü
Winepress
& Vat –
Symbolic of the alter where the sacrifices would be brought. Fruits of righteousness; Wine of joy and
adoration.
ü
Wild
Grapes –
Contempt for God. Cursing and Swearing, pride and passion, discontent and
malice, harsh and cruel; putrefied… the state of the Jews
ü
Good
Grapes –
Contempt for the world, praying and praising, humility, and meekness, love and patience. Good thoughts of Affections, words and
actions that are reflective of the Holy Spirit.
ü
Ought
do –
He did everything that was desired, expected and enjoyed to make the Jews Holy
and happy; to secured their welfare, gave them the law. Sent
them the prophets and teachers of the law.
ü
Judge
now –
Between God and Israel; the ingratitude, the unfruitfulness.
ü
The
Question –
Could God have given a more excellent Redeemer or provided a more full
atonement for our sins? Could He have given
a more excellent, purer and Holy Law or given higher hopes of eternal life?
ü
The
Six WOE’s –
The vineyard was left unpruned; overgrown with thorns and weeds. This was the departure of the Spirit of God;
the removal of the Gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ.
The Take Away: Good
purposes, thoughts and actions are a great beginning, but they are not enough;
God expects good fruit from His vineyard. If there is bad fruit,[16]
He will display His displeasure and remove His hedge of protection, break down
His walls and lay the vineyard to waste.[17]
Because God had compassion for Israel, He persistently
sent his messengers to WARN them, but they kept mocking the
messengers,[18]
despising His words and scoffing at His prophets, and gave offerings to idols,[19]
until finally the
wrath of the LORD rose against His people, [20]and there was no remedy.[21]
We are the vineyard, God had done
all that He can do to provide us THE way back to
Him; [22]
to provide salvation for those who will just believe.[23] We are not members of the “Secret Service”,
we are AMBASSADORS
FOR CHRIST; we are implored to be reconciled to God.[24]
What
more could Christ do for us, that He has not already done.
[1] Isaiah 5:8-9 – 1ST WOE – Homes become
desolate; un-inhabited
[2] Isaiah 5:10 – The grounds will yield very little fruit
[3] Isaiah 5:11-12 – 2ND WOE – Drunk; they will forget about God
[4] Isaiah 5:17 – They shall live as nomads among the ruins
[5] Isaiah 5:13 – They will go into exile with Hunger and thirst
[6] Isaiah 5:14 – Many will die in their revelry and go to hell.
[7] Isaiah 5:15-16 – Man will be humbled and brought low
[8] Isaiah 5:18-19 - 3RD
WOE – They cart sin around
with lies
[9] Isaiah 5:20 - 4TH
WOE – Men will call evil
good and good evil
[10] Isaiah 5:21 – 5TH
WOE Men will become wise
in their own eyes
[11] Isaiah 5:22 - 6TH
WOE – Drunk taking bribes
deprive innocent
[12] Isaiah 5:24 - Fire devour the grass and the roots will rot
[13] Isaiah 5:30 - Darkness and distress will be over the land
[14] Isaiah 5:24-25 – Earthquakes – Dead people dumped out like garbage
[15] Isaiah 5:26-29 – The enemy nations will come against them
[16] Jeremiah 2:21 – You were planted a choice
vine; How have you now become a wild vine?
[17] Matthew 21:19 – Bearing no fruit, the fig tree was cursed
[18] 2 Chronicles 36:15 – God’ compassion persistently
sent messengers to them
[19] Jeremiah 11:17 – They provoked God to anger with offerings to Baal
[20] Mark 11:12-14 – Time is coming it will be too
late to bear fruit
[21] 2 Chronicles 36:16 – But they despised, scoffed and mocked until there
was no remedy
[22] Luke 13:6-9 – One more chance for good fruit, if
not then cut it down
[23] 2 Kings 17:13 - Turn from your evil ways and keep my commandments
and my statutes,
[24] 2 Corinthians 5:20 - We are
Ambassadors for Christ; we implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God
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